Course Overview
Senior security leaders are expected to do more than defend a perimeter. They are expected to lead under sustained nation-state attack, coordinate across government, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies, communicate credibly with non-technical boards during a crisis, and design resilience programmes that make their organisations genuinely harder to damage over time. This five-day advanced programme develops those capabilities across the full scope of cyber defence leadership.
Across five mentor-led days, participants design and command cyber defence operations against nation-state adversaries, build and run cyber wargame exercises for senior leadership, design enterprise-scale cyber resilience programmes with measurable outcomes, coordinate with NCSC, law enforcement, and sector regulators during a simulated crisis, manage public communications during an active attack, and plan recovery and reconstitution operations at scale.
The programme is structured around two major capstone exercises: a participant-designed and participant-delivered full tabletop wargame exercise on Days 3 and 4, and a complete board-level cyber warfare resilience strategy presentation on Day 5. This course is aligned with NCSC cyber resilience guidance, UK Critical National Infrastructure protection policy, NIS2 essential entity obligations, and international cyber crisis coordination frameworks.
Hands-On Learning
Defence architecture design workshop, participant-designed tabletop wargame (Days 3-4), inter-agency coordination simulation, crisis communications exercise, and a board-level resilience strategy presentation capstone.
Mentor-Led Sessions
Senior practitioner instruction across all five days, with live commentary on real crisis management decisions, wargame design review and coaching, and instructor critique of every capstone output.
Career-Ready Skills
Cyber defence operation command, wargame design and facilitation, resilience programme design and measurement, government agency coordination, crisis communications, and board-level cyber warfare strategy delivery.
Learning Outcomes
Design and command a cyber defence operation against a persistent nation-state threat at enterprise scale.
Run a cyber wargame exercise for senior leadership that produces measurable decision-making improvements.
Build a national-scale or enterprise-scale cyber resilience programme with measurable outcomes.
Coordinate effectively with NCSC, law enforcement, and sector regulators during a live cyber crisis.
Manage crisis communications during an active nation-state attack without compromising operational security.
Produce a board-level cyber warfare resilience strategy that satisfies regulatory and governance requirements.
Design a post-incident review and lessons learned programme that drives continuous resilience improvement.
Prerequisites
Senior security leadership experience as a CISO, Security Director, SOC Manager, or equivalent role.
Solid operational understanding of incident response, threat intelligence, and SOC operations.
Familiarity with the cyber threat landscape and nation-state targeting of your sector.
Detailed Syllabus
Step-by-step learning journey from basics to professional practice
Topics Covered
- Pre-reading: NCSC cyber resilience guidance, UK National Cyber Strategy, and NIS2 essential entity obligations
- Introduction to the cyber defence operation command framework used throughout the programme
- Accessing course materials, wargame design templates, and crisis simulation scenario resources
- Course objectives, leadership baseline assessment, and individual development focus areas
Skills You'll Gain
Master these in-demand skills through hands-on practice
Career Progression
A clear view of the roles this programme supports, what typically comes next, and where learners progress over time
Ways to Learn
Choose the learning format that works best for you and your team
Live Online
Instructor-Led Training
Join live instructor-led sessions from anywhere. Interactive, engaging, and flexible.
- Live instructor interaction (real-time)
- Trainer-led walkthroughs and real examples
- Guided resources and session notes provided
- Structured Q&A and practical discussion
Price per person
Group enrolments and early planning options available.
All prices are exclusive of VAT where applicable. Group enrolments and custom packages available on request.
Prefer a Faster, Personalised Route into IT?
Not everyone learns best in a group. If you want focused guidance, faster clarity, and confidence you can use on the job, our 1-to-1 Fast-Track Training gives you private, mentor-led support tailored to your experience and goals.
"Many learners choose 1-to-1 when they want understanding, not memorisation."
Exam & Certification Information
Everything you need to know about the certification exams
Important Information
You will receive an Xcademia certificate of completion based on participation and successful completion of labs and scenario simulations.
Credential
Certificate of Completion
On successful completion of Cyber Defence Operations and Resilience Command, learners receive an Xcademia Certificate of Completion. This standalone certificate is issued directly by Xcademia and is aligned with globally recognised frameworks and best practices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about this course
CISOs, Security Directors, SOC Managers, government security leads, and crisis management directors with senior responsibility for cyber defence and organisational resilience.
Ready to Start Your Learning Journey?
Take the next step in your professional development